Vacuum processing and transfer system

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for processing a work piece in a vacuum environment includes a master process chamber configured to be exhausted to a sub-atmospheric air pressure or to be filled with a desirable gas, a transfer chamber configured to receive the work piece from outside of the master process chamber, one or more processing stations inside the master process chamber, a rotation plate configured to receive the work piece and to move the work piece to receive one or more processing operations, and a first transport mechanism configured to transfer the work piece from the transfer chamber on to the rotation plate. The transfer chamber is at least partially enclosed in the master process chamber and can be vacuum sealed off from the master process chamber.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates to apparatus for receiving and processing a substrate in a vacuum environment.

BACKGROUND

Processing a substrate in a vacuum environment is a basic process in micro-fabrication technologies. A vacuum processing system 100 is shown in a perspective view in FIG. 1. The vacuum processing system 100 includes a vacuum chamber 110, a load lock or vacuum transfer chamber 120, and one or more processing chambers 130. The load lock 120 allows a work piece 140 (not shown in FIG. 1 for clarity reason) to be transferred between an ambient environment and the vacuum environment in the vacuum chamber 110. FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the vacuum processing system 100 of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows an enlarged view of the load lock 120 of the prior art vacuum processing system 100 in FIG. 1.

The work piece 140 can be transferred by a robot 115 from the vacuum chamber 110 to the processing chambers 130 wherein the work piece 140 can be processed in vacuum. The load lock 120 can include two or more gate valves 125, 126 that allow the load lock 120 to be isolated from or connected to the vacuum chamber 110 and the ambient environment. The work piece 140 can be transferred into the load lock through a first gate valve 125 while the load lock is sealed from the vacuum chamber 110 by the closing of the second gate valve 126. The first gate valve 125 is closed after the work piece 140 is transferred inside the load lock 120. The enclosure of the load lock 120 is pumped down to vacuum level. The second gate valve 126 can be then opened to allow the work piece to be transferred into the vacuum chamber 110. The vacuum chamber is subsequently pumped down to vacuum. The unloading of the work piece 140 can occur in a similar two-step process without exposing the vacuum chamber 110 or the processing chamber 130 to the ambient environment. The load lock 120 thus allows the process chamber 130 to maintain in a high-vacuum state during processing and during loading and unloading of work piece 140, which reduces contamination of the process chambers and avoid the extended pump-down of the process chamber.

Despite the above-described benefits, the load lock 120 is periodically exposed to atmosphere ambient environment and can cause indirect exposure of atmosphere ambient to the processing chamber 130 and the vacuum chamber 110. In many applications, such as physical vapor deposition (PVD), where very high vacuum is required, an additional or multiple transfer chambers need to be placed between the vacuum chamber 110 and load lock 120 to further reduce the base pressure in the vacuum chamber 110 and the contamination level of the processing chamber 130. One disadvantage of the vacuum processing system 100 is its large footprint due to horizontally extended multiple-chamber layout. The architecture of the vacuum processing system 100 would present a higher system cost and lower throughput in operation. Another disadvantage is it requires a complex robot mechanism to transfer work piece 140 between vacuum chamber 110 and transfer chamber and loadlock 120.

SUMMARY

Implementations of the system may include one or more of the following. In one aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus for processing a work piece in a vacuum environment, comprising:

-   -   a master process chamber configured to be exhausted to a         sub-atmospheric air pressure or to be filled with a desirable         gas;     -   a transfer chamber configured to receive the work piece from         outside of the master process chamber, wherein the transfer         chamber is at least partially enclosed in the master process         chamber and can be vacuum sealed off from the master process         chamber;     -   one or more processing stations inside the master process         chamber;     -   a rotation plate configured to receive the work piece and to         move the work piece to receive one or more processing         operations; and     -   a first transport mechanism configured to transfer the work         piece from the transfer chamber on to the rotation plate.

In another aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus for processing a work piece in a vacuum environment, comprising:

-   -   a master process chamber;     -   a first pump system configured to exhaust the master process         chamber to an air pressure substantially below the atmospheric         pressure or fill the master process chamber with a desirable         gas;     -   a transfer chamber configured to receive the work piece from         outside of the master process chamber, wherein the transfer         chamber is at least partially enclosed in the master process         chamber and can be vacuum sealed off from the master process         chamber;     -   a second pump system configured to exhaust the transfer chamber         to a sub-atmospheric air pressure or fill the transfer chamber         with a desirable gas;     -   one or more processing stations inside the master process         chamber, configured to process the work piece;     -   a rotation plate configured to receive the work piece and to         move the work piece to the one or more processing stations;     -   a first transport mechanism configured to move the work piece         from the transfer chamber to the rotation plate in a downward         movement; and     -   a second transport mechanism configured to move the work piece         from the rotation plate to one of the processing stations in an         upward movement when the work piece is moved by the rotation         plate to the vicinity of the processing station.

In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to an apparatus for processing a work piece in a vacuum environment, comprising:

-   -   a master process chamber;     -   a first pump system configured to exhaust the master process         chamber to an air pressure substantially below the atmospheric         pressure or fill the master process chamber with a desirable         gas;     -   one or more processing stations inside the master process         chamber, configured to process the work piece;     -   a rotation plate configured to receive the work piece and to         move the work piece to the one or more processing stations; and     -   a second transport mechanism configured to move the work piece         from the rotation plate to one of the processing stations in an         upward movement when the work piece is moved by the rotation         plate to the vicinity of the processing station.

Embodiments may include one or more of the following advantages. The disclosed vacuum transfer and processing system includes transfer chamber that is fully or partially enclosed in the master process chamber. As a result, the footprint of the vacuum transfer and processing system is reduced relative to the prior systems. The smaller footprint allows the disclosed system to be suitable for wider range of applications compared to the prior art systems.

In another aspect, the disclosed vacuum transfer and processing system can include one or more transfer mechanisms for transferring the work piece between the transfer chamber and the processing stations in the master process chamber. The work piece transfer mechanisms are required to move along one (vertical or rotational) dimension per transfer mechanism, which is simpler and less expensive compared to the robot transfer mechanisms in the prior art systems. The work piece transfer mechanism also saves space compared to the robotic transfer mechanisms in the prior art systems, which allows processing stations to be implemented in the master process chamber.

In yet another aspect, the work piece transfer mechanisms are capable of multiple functions. One work piece transfer mechanism can transfer the work piece in and out of the transfer chamber and can also vacuum seal the transfer chamber from the master process chamber. Another work piece transfer mechanism can transfer the work piece to a processing station and if necessary, can also isolate the processing station from the master process chamber. These multi-functional capabilities allow the processing stations to be properly isolated from the master process chamber and the transfer chamber which minimizes the contamination and vacuum pumping time.

In still another aspect, the disclosed vacuum transfer and processing system includes a rotation plate that can transfer a plurality of work pieces between the transfer chamber and one or more processing stations. A plurality of work pieces can be processed in parallel through a multi-step vacuum process. In contrast, the prior art robot transfer mechanism can only transfer one work piece at a time. The parallel processing in the disclosed system significantly reduces the average transfer time for each work piece and increases system throughput.

The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and in the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THD DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art vacuum processing system.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the prior art vacuum processing system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a close-up view of the load lock of the prior art vacuum processing system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a vacuum transfer and processing system in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the vacuum transfer and processing system of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the vacuum transfer and processing system of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a close-up cross-sectional view of the transfer system in the vacuum transfer and processing system of FIG. 4.

FIG. 8 is another cross-sectional view of the vacuum transfer and processing system of FIG. 4 when a work piece is loaded on the rotation plate.

FIG. 9 is another close-up cross-sectional view of the transfer system in the vacuum transfer and processing system of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional view of the transfer chamber at enclosed position where the work piece is placed directly on the first transfer mechanism.

FIG. 10B is a cross-sectional view of the transfer chamber where the work piece is at its drop off position.

FIG. 10C is a cross-sectional view of the transfer chamber where the work piece is placed on the rotation plate and the rotation plate is ready to transport the work piece to processing stations.

FIG. 11 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the vacuum transfer and processing system with process chambers shown.

FIG. 12A is a close-up cross-sectional view of a PVD processing station with work piece at transport position.

FIG. 12B is a close-up cross-sectional view of the PVD processing station with work piece at process position and the process chamber is sealed off from the master chamber.

FIG. 13A is a cross-sectional view of a processing station where the work piece is placed on the rotation plate.

FIG. 13B is a cross-sectional view of the processing station where the second transfer mechanism is raised to pick up the work piece and the work piece holders are still extended.

FIG. 13C is a cross-sectional view of the processing station where the second transfer mechanism is raised to pick up the work piece and the work piece holders are retracted to allow the second transfer mechanism to move up.

FIG. 13D is a cross-sectional view of the processing station where the second transfer mechanism is raised to the process position and the process chamber is sealed off.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A vacuum transfer and processing system 400 in accordance with the present invention is shown in a perspective view in FIG. 4 and in a perspective cross-sectional view in FIG. 5 (with top of the master process chamber 410 removed for clarity). The vacuum transfer and processing system 400 is also shown in a cross-sectional view in FIG. 6 and a close-up cross-sectional view in FIG. 7. The vacuum transfer and processing system 400 includes a master process chamber 410, a transfer chamber 420 that can transfer a work piece 430 between the outside and the master process chamber 410, one or more processing stations 440-443, a rotation plate 450, and a first transfer mechanism 425.

The work piece 430 can be a disk-shaped silicon wafer that may have a diameter 150 mm, 200 mm, 300 mm, and 450 mm, etc. The work piece 430 can also be made of other semiconductor materials such as Ge, GaAs, and a metal, a glass or a ceramic substrate. The vacuum transfer and processing system 400 is compatible with but not limited to applications in semiconductor integrated circuits, flat panel displays, micro-fluidic devices, MEMS components, medical devices and electro-optical devices.

The processing stations 440-443 can include a pre-cleaning (or soft-etch) station, and one or more sputter deposition (or sputtering) stations. The sputtering station can include a target and a magnetron system behind the target for generating plasmas. Typical sputtering materials in the target can include Cu, Ta, Ti, Au, Ag, Al, Sn, Cr, W, Hf, Zr, Ni, etc. The sputtering material can also include compound or alloy materials such as TiW, TiNx, AlNx, AlOx, HfOx, TiOx, TaNx, NiV, ITO, and other solid materials.

As shown in FIGS. 4-7, the transfer chamber 420 is at least partially enclosed inside the master process chamber 410 such that it can include an opening (i.e. gate valve 421) to the outside environment and a separate opening (that can be sealed by the first transfer mechanism 425 as described below) to the master process chamber 410. The partial (or full) enclosure of the transfer chamber 420 in the master process chamber 420 reduces foot print of the vacuum transfer and processing system 400 compared to the prior art system. Reduced system footprint is one advantageous feature of the vacuum transfer and processing system 400.

As shown in FIG. 6, the master process chamber 410 is connected to a pump system via a valve 411 that can exhaust the master process chamber 410 to a vacuum pressure or is filled with a desired gas. Similarly, a valve 422 can be connected to another pump system to evacuate air or gas from the transfer chamber 420. Also, through valve 422, the transfer chamber can be filled with a desirable gas. The air pressures of the master process chamber 410 and the transfer chamber 420 can thus be independently controlled by the pump systems going through valves 411 and 422, respectively. The master process chamber 410 and the transfer chamber 420 can be filled with a desirable gas to bring air pressure within the master process chamber 410 to be in the range of 0.01 milli-Torr to 1000 milli-Torr. Desirable gases can include Argon, Nitrogen, Oxygen and Hydrogen.

The transfer chamber 420 includes a gate valve 421 that can open up for receiving or unloading the work piece 430 and close to isolate the transfer chamber 420 from the outside environment. The outside environment of the gate valve 421 can be the ambient environment or another chamber such as a load lock in which the air pressure can be controlled by another pump system. Before the gate valve 421 is opened, the first transfer mechanism 425 is pushed upward to vacuum seal from underneath. The first transfer mechanism 425 includes a moveable plate 426 that includes a mating surface that can be brought to close contact with an associated mating surface on the underside of the transfer chamber 420 and also a mating surface that can be brought to close contact with the first transfer mechanism 425. An upward force exerted on the moveable plate 426 allows tight sealing at the mating surfaces and vacuum isolation between the transfer chamber 420 and the master process chamber 410. The vacuum environment in the master process chamber 410 can thus be maintained while the work piece 430 is loaded and unloaded through the open gate valve 421 in and out of the transfer chamber 420.

The first transfer mechanism 425 also includes a moveable activation mechanism such as a piston mechanism that is at least partially outside of the master process chamber 410. A set of bellows 427 can be used to isolate the master process chamber 410 from the moveable activation mechanism and the ambient environment. After the work piece 430 is transferred into the transfer chamber 420, the work piece 430 is placed over the moveable plate 426. The gate valve 421 is closed to isolate the transfer chamber 420 from the outside environment. Through valve 422 the pump system then exhausts air or gas from the transfer chamber 420 to establish the proper vacuum condition to prepare the transfer chamber 420 to be connected with the master process chamber 410.

The vacuum transfer and processing system 400 further includes a rotation table 450 that can be rotated around an axel 455 in the center of the master process chamber 410. The rotation table 450 can transfer the work piece 430 between the transfer chamber 420 and the processing stations 440-443. After vacuum is established in the transfer chamber 420 , the first transfer mechanism 425 can move downward to connect the transfer chamber 420 to the vacuum environment in the master process chamber 410. The moveable plate 426 and the work piece 430 carried on the moveable plate 426 are placed on the rotation plate 450. An opening in the rotation plate 450 allows the moveable activation mechanism of the first transfer mechanism 425 and the bellows 427 to move through the rotation plate 450. FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of the vacuum transfer and processing system 400 when a work piece 430 is carried by the rotation plate 450. FIG. 9 shows a close-up cross-sectional view of the transfer system 420 in FIG. 8.

After the work piece 430 is placed on the rotation plate 450, the work piece 430 and the movable plate 426 can be moved by the rotation plate 450 to the vicinity of the processing stations 440-443. A second transfer mechanism 460 can move the work piece 430 upward off the rotation plate 450 and into the processing station. The second transfer mechanism 460 can include an activation mechanism (not shown) and bellows 467 to isolate the master process chamber from the activation mechanism and the ambient environment. The second transfer mechanism 460 can also include a moveable plate 426 that can include a mating surface for sealing against a counterpart mating surface on the underside of one of the processing stations 440-443.

The movable plate holds the work piece and moves with the work piece to various processing stations 440-443 in the above embodiment. The work piece can be heated or cooled by a heating and cooling mechanisms, but the heating and cooling have to pass through the movable plate 426, which may require longer time and compromise control accuracy. In another embodiment, the movable plate 426 can be eliminated to allow the work piece rest directly on the first transfer mechanism 425. As shown in FIGS. 10A to 10C, a mating surface provided on the first transfer mechanism 425 forms a seal with the transfer chamber when an upward force is applied to the first transfer mechanism.

The transfer sequence is described below. First the first transfer mechanism 425 is pushed against the transfer chamber 420 and forms a sealed enclosure. The valve 421 is opened and a work piece 430 is placed on first transfer mechanism 425 (FIG. 10A). Then the valve 421 is closed and the transfer chamber is pumped down to base pressure, the first transfer mechanism 425 is lowered to the work piece drop off position (FIG. 10B). Finally, a plurality of retractable work piece holders 428 mounted on rotation plate 450 are extended and the first transfer mechanism 425 is lowered, and the work piece 430 are placed on the retractable work piece holders 428, FIG. 10C. The work piece holders can be independently controlled or activated by the first transfer mechanism. The removal of the work piece 430 from the processing station 441 is reverse of the above sequence.

FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of the vacuum transfer and processing system 400 having processing stations 440 and 441. The sealed chambers allow independent pressure control and minimize cross contamination between process chambers. The second transfer mechanism 460 at various processing stations can have optional heating, cooling, and voltage biasing (both AC and DC) capabilities. These optional heating and cooling capabilities are used to apply heating and cooling to work piece 430 and to control work piece temperature through the movable plates 426. Typically a higher pressure in master process chamber 410 is present during the heating and cooling of the work piece before processing to ensure faster heat transfer. The optional voltage applied to the second transfer mechanism produce DC or AC bias current to the work piece during processing.

Each rotation of the rotation plate 450 allows a plurality of work pieces 430 to be moved to new processing stations 440-443 or the transfer chamber 420 simultaneously. The work pieces 430 can be processed or unloaded in parallel, which significantly improves system throughput. The second transfer mechanism may optionally lift a plate over the moveable plate 426 to allow the height of the work piece 430 in the processing stations 440-443 to be adjusted.

FIG. 12A is a close-up cross-sectional view of the PVD processing station 441 with work piece 430 at transport position. FIG. 12B is a close-up cross-sectional view of the PVD processing station 441 with work piece 430 at process position and the process chamber is sealed off from the master chamber. The work piece 430 is transferred by a second transfer mechanism 460 with the assistance of a moveable plate 431. The second transfer mechanism 460 can include an activation mechanism (not shown) and bellows 467 to isolate the master process chamber from the activation mechanism and the ambient environment. The PVD processing station 441 may include one or more magnetron 465, one or more targets 466, and a sealable chamber 468 in which the deposition can be conducted.

In another embodiment, there can be one or more small gas flow paths 469 between a processing stations 440-443 and the master process chamber 410 when the processing stations 440-443 is at the sealed process position. The flow into the processing station will create a higher pressure inside processing station compared to master process chamber, the cross contamination between master process chamber and the processing station is minimized. In this case, the vacuum pump for the master chamber can effectively be used to pump out process chambers that have small gas flow paths into the master process chamber 410. This embodiment can remove the need for vacuum pumps inside process chamber and reduce the system cost.

FIGS. 13A to 13D illustrate the transfer of a work piece 430 to a processing station 441 without the use of a moveable plate. After the work piece 430 is placed on the rotation plate 450, the second transfer mechanism 460 is in a lower position to allow the rotation plate 450 to rotate. After the work piece 430 is transferred to the processing station 461, the second transfer mechanism 460 is at lower position (FIG. 13A). The second transfer mechanism 460 rises to pick up the work piece 430 from the retractable work piece holder (FIG. 13B). The retractable work piece holder 428 is retracted to allow the second transfer mechanism 460 to raises the work piece 430 above the rotation plate 450 (FIG. 13C). Finally, the second transfer mechanism 460 is raised to the process position to seal off the processing station 441 (FIG. 13D). The work piece holder 428 can be independently controlled or activated by the second transfer mechanism 460. The removal of the work piece 430 from the processing station 441 is reverse of the above sequence.

Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in the foregoing detailed description, it shall be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described herein, but is capable of numerous rearrangements, modifications, and substitutions without departing from the scope of the invention. The following claims are intended to encompass all such modifications. 

1. An apparatus for processing a work piece in a vacuum environment, comprising: a master process chamber configured to be exhausted to a sub-atmospheric air pressure or to be filled with a desirable gas; a transfer chamber configured to receive the work piece from outside of the master process chamber, wherein the transfer chamber is at least partially enclosed in the master process chamber and can be vacuum sealed off from the master process chamber; one or more processing stations inside the master process chamber; a rotation plate configured to receive the work piece and to move the work piece to receive one or more processing operations; and a first transport mechanism configured to transfer the work piece from the transfer chamber on to the rotation plate.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first transport mechanism is configured to vacuum seal the transfer chamber from the master process chamber by sealing an opening in the transfer chamber in an upward movement.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first transport mechanism is configured to remove the work piece from the transfer chamber and to move the work piece to the rotation plate by transferring the work piece in a downward direction.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a moveable plate that can carry the work piece to be transferred by the first transport mechanism, the second transport mechanism, and the rotation plate.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second transport mechanism configured to transfer the work piece on the rotation plate to one of the processing stations when the work piece is moved by the rotation plate to the vicinity of the processing station.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second transport mechanism is configured to move the work piece into the processing station in an upward movement.
 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the second transport mechanism is configured to vacuum seal the processing station from the master process chamber by sealing an opening in the processing station by the upward movement.
 8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second transport mechanism comprises an electrically biasing mechanism configured to apply alternative current or direct current bias to the work piece or a heating or cooling mechanism configured to heat or cool work piece.
 9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second transport mechanism includes one or more retractable holders configured to hold the work piece and to retract to release the work piece onto the rotation plate.
 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transfer chamber comprises a gate valve that can open to allow the work piece to be transferred into the transfer chamber in a substantially horizontal direction.
 11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a first pump system configured to exhaust the master process chamber to an air pressure substantially below the atmospheric pressure or fill the master process chamber with a desirable gas.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a second pump system configured to exhaust the transfer chamber to a sub-atmospheric air pressure or fill the transfer chamber with a desirable gas.
 13. An apparatus for processing a work piece in a vacuum environment, comprising: a master process chamber; a first pump system configured to exhaust the master process chamber to an air pressure substantially below the atmospheric pressure or fill the master process chamber with a desirable gas; a transfer chamber configured to receive the work piece from outside of the master process chamber, wherein the transfer chamber is at least partially enclosed in the master process chamber and can be vacuum sealed off from the master process chamber; a second pump system configured to exhaust the transfer chamber to a sub-atmospheric air pressure or fill the transfer chamber with a desirable gas; one or more processing stations inside the master process chamber, configured to process the work piece; a rotation plate configured to receive the work piece and to move the work piece to the one or more processing stations; a first transport mechanism configured to move the work piece from the transfer chamber to the rotation plate in a downward movement; and a second transport mechanism configured to move the work piece from the rotation plate to one of the processing stations in an upward movement when the work piece is moved by the rotation plate to the vicinity of the processing station.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first transport mechanism is configured to vacuum seal the transfer chamber by sealing an opening in the transfer chamber in an upward movement.
 15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second transport mechanism is configured to vacuum seal the processing station by sealing an opening in the processing station in an upward movement.
 16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second transport mechanism comprises an electrically biasing mechanism configured to apply alternative current or direct current bias to the work piece.
 17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second transport mechanism comprises a heating or cooling mechanism configured to heat or cool the work piece.
 18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the transfer chamber comprises a gate valve that can open to allow the work piece to be transferred into the transfer chamber in a substantially horizontal direction.
 19. An apparatus for processing a work piece in a vacuum environment, comprising: a master process chamber; a first pump system configured to exhaust the master process chamber to an air pressure substantially below the atmospheric pressure or fill the master process chamber with a desirable gas; one or more processing stations inside the master process chamber, configured to process the work piece; a rotation plate configured to receive the work piece and to move the work piece to the one or more processing stations; and a second transport mechanism configured to move the work piece from the rotation plate to one of the processing stations in an upward movement when the work piece is moved by the rotation plate to the vicinity of the processing station.
 20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising: a transfer chamber configured to receive the work piece from outside of the master process chamber, wherein the transfer chamber is at least partially enclosed in the master process chamber and can be vacuum sealed off from the master process chamber; a second pump system configured to exhaust the transfer chamber to a sub-atmospheric air pressure or fill the transfer chamber with a desirable gas; and a first transport mechanism configured to move the work piece from the transfer chamber to the rotation plate in a downward movement. 